How can boards help businesses keep hold of the value they create? In “7 Powers: The Foundations of Business Strategy”, Hamilton identifies seven powers organisations can develop to protect themselves from competition. Listen to his conversation with Nurole CEO Oliver Cummings to discover how you can use them as a board member. Hear Hamilton’s answers to: Why are your insights in 7 Powers relevant to board members? (1:58) How do the best boards define strategy? (5:20) How can they use the 7 Powers to inform their strategic input? (13:01) How can boards understand their competitors’ power? (16:51) How can boards assess the power of their brand?(19:49) How do you determine whether your power is subject to diminishing returns? (30:00) How can incumbents use the 7 Powers to respond to new competition? (34:44) Why do organisations struggle to marry strategy and execution?(38:09) How much time do the best boards spend on strategy? (43:30)⚡The Lightning Round ⚡(46:53)  

Host: Oliver Cummings

Producer: Will Felton

Music: Kate Mac

Audio: Nick Kold

Email: [email protected]

Web: https://www.nurole.com/nurole-podcast-enter-the-boardroom

Sarah is Chair of Bionic, Yeo Valley, Riverford Organic Farmers and Sawdays and Senior Advisor at OMERS Private Equity. Tune in to her conversation with Nurole CEO Oliver Cummings to hear her answers to: Why did you take on your first board roles whilst you were still a busy non-exec? (1:33) What do you know now which you wish you’d learnt then? (4:17) What was the biggest surprise of the boardroom? (7:09) In what ways did your exec and non-exec roles inform each other? (9:09) Did you consciously decide to leave your exec career and go portfolio? (10:53) How did you think about transitioning from pro bono to paid roles? (12:31) What were the most challenging aspects of the transition? (16:30) Did you have a breakthrough moment or was it just persistence? (19:12) How do your boards compare across different ownership structures? (20:43) What characteristics would you take from each structure to create the dream board? (25:57) What have you learnt about chairing which you wish you’d known before? (27:49) How would you design a perfect Chair role? (30:55) What have been the good and bad interview questions as a prospective Chair? (32:31) How do investor-backed Chairs ensure they are even-handed with CEOs? (35:01) How do you ensure your values shape your portfolio? (37:46) As a Chair, what do you look for in NEDs? (41:00) and ⚡The Lightning Round ⚡(43:12)      

Host: Oliver Cummings

Producer: Will Felton

Music: Kate Mac

Audio: Nick Kold

Email: [email protected]

Web: https://www.nurole.com/nurole-podcast-enter-the-boardroom

Martin sits down with Nurole CEO Oliver Cummings to consider: How did the board add value during Aberdeen’s organic growth? (1:45) How did the board help through acquisitions? (3:45) How have you learnt from your mistakes? (7:35) How did you balance instinct with analysis? (8:54) How does the board’s role at Revolut compare to Aberdeen? (12:19) Has the world become less forgiving, and what can boards do to help? (17:30) Why do you take on roles at listed companies? (19:26) What value can CEO-NEDs add to boards (and vice versa)? (22:10)  How do you identify high-risk / high-value employees? (24:49) What value have “future” sub-committees added? (26:18) How should boards manage their high-risk / high-value employees? (28:42) How can investment trust boards help their executive decision-makers? (33:15) What are the traits of the best investment trust board members? (35:44) Do investment trusts need cult fund managers? (39:43) and ⚡The Lightning Round ⚡(43:49) 

Host: Oliver Cummings

Producer: Will Felton

Music: Kate Mac

Audio: Nick Kold

Email: [email protected]

Web: https://www.nurole.com/nurole-podcast-enter-the-boardroom

Professor Kakabadse, one of Harvard Business Review’s most influential management gurus, has spent a lifetime working with boards, publishing 45 books and 250 scholarly articles on the subject. Tune in to his conversation with Nurole CEO Oliver Cummings to hear his answers to: How do you define and measure the board’s role and effectiveness? (0:57) Can you unpack the meaning of “board stewardship”, with examples? (5:07) How can boards build requisite psychological resilience? (11:35)  How can Chairs manage domineering board members? (16:14) What can board members do where they feel impeded by governance?(19:23) Where can boards deliver the most value today? (24:25) Which forms of diversity do boards need to add more value? (29:42) What can UK boards learn from other systems? (41:10) Should Chairs play a more dominant role for boards to be more effective? (43:09) What are the respective roles of CEO and Chair? (46:21) How do Non-Execs slot into a close Chair-CEO relationship? (48:51) and ⚡The Lightning Round ⚡(53:05)  

Host: Oliver Cummings

Producer: Will Felton

Music: Kate Mac

Audio: Nick Kold

Email: [email protected]

Web: https://www.nurole.com/nurole-podcast-enter-the-boardroom

Dame Jayne-Anne Gadhia has worked with boards from most angles, across every business stage. Tune in to her discussion with Nurole CEO Oliver Cummings as she reflects on her journeys with Snoop and Virgin Money, and hear her answers to: How have you thought about fundraising for Snoop? (1:29) When and why did you first create a board? (6:01) How did your investor directors add value? (7:59) Were the boards more than just rubber ducks? (10:35) How have the best boards and Chairs provided you with support? (13:06) How do you think about getting the best out of your Chairs as a CEO or Founder? (18:23) Who sets strategy - the Board or CEO? (22:53) Are there downsides to customer-driven strategy? (26:03) Practically, how have you engaged with your boards over strategy? (27:47) What was your experience of chairing the company you founded? (31:44) How do you think about board composition at different business stages? (34:55) How did you think about board size at different business stages? (37:57) What mix of execs and non-execs has worked best for you? (40:17) And ⚡The Lightning Round ⚡(43:13)   

Host: Oliver Cummings

Producer: Will Felton

Music: Kate Mac

Audio: Nick Kold

Email: [email protected]

Web: https://www.nurole.com/nurole-podcast-enter-the-boardroom

After fifteen years as an investment banker, Matt joined the board of Prostate Cancer Research. Two years later, he was Chair - a job he now does full time. What made him make the leap? Tune in to Matt’s conversation with Nurole CEO Oliver Cummings to hear his answers to:  What advice would you have for someone considering becoming a Chair? (1:36) How did you prepare for your Chair role? (3:36) Why did you want to become a charity Chair, given the risks? (6:29) How can you add the most value as a Chair? (8:36) What have you done to foster a culture where people feel comfortable innovating? (11:13) How have you thought about board composition / hiring? (12:01) What have you learnt about onboarding? (16:17)  Does trustee engagement vary depending on how you recruited them? (18:08) What is your approach to fundraising? (21:45) How do you build a high-net-worth network? (26:10) What have been the biggest challenges of chairing a charity board? (27:14)  Which areas did you need to improve the most when you started chairing? (28:59) To what extent do you choreograph meetings? (34:47)  When do you encourage execs to come with recommendations versus points for discussion? (36:58)  What due diligence do people need to do before accepting a charity Chair position? (38:59)  How did you know you felt passionately enough about your charities? (42:26), and ⚡The Lightning Round ⚡(45:15)

Host: Oliver Cummings

Producer: Will Felton

Music: Kate Mac

Audio: Nick Kold

Email: [email protected]

Web: https://www.nurole.com/nurole-podcast-enter-the-boardroom

Do you aspire to Chair your board? Or better understand how your Chair thinks? Uber NED Roger Parry sits down with Nurole CEO Oliver Cummings to reflect on his 20+ years chairing global organisations like YouGov and Future Publishing. Tune in to hear his answers to the following questions: How do you prepare to become a Chair? (1:24) What are the different Chair archetypes, and are some better than others? (3:54) Can you become a Chair without being a CEO or CFO? (8:04) What are the key things you learnt from your Chair mentors? (9:28) What is the Chair’s role, and how should it be distinct from the CEO? (11:48) How involved do you get with strategy, and how much time does it take? (15:05)  When and where have you added most value as a Chair? (22:11) Where can Chairs add value, beyond managing shareholders? (26:06) When and where have you got it wrong as a Chair? (29:04) What else can you do to prepare to become a Chair? (36:43) How do you hire for genuine diversity of thought, and what is its value? (39:00) ⚡The Lightning Round ⚡(46:00) 

Host: Oliver Cummings

Producer: Will Felton

Music: Kate Mac

Audio: Nick Kold

Email: [email protected]

Web: https://www.nurole.com/nurole-podcast-enter-the-boardroom

Boards exist to make decisions. But how often does your board make the best ones? Shefaly Yogendra is a Chair, NED and Advisor with a PhD in decision-making . Tune in to her conversation with Nurole CEO Oliver Cummings to discover her answers to the following questions:  What framework do you use to promote good decision making on your boards? (1:25) What tactics do you use to make boards feel comfortable with discomfort? (7:39) Where has emotion enhanced decision-making on your boards? (14:25) How can board members uncover biases that impact decision-making? (17:54) How good are boards at retrospecting past decisions to inform future ones? (23:32) How do you manage conflicts of interest when it comes to decision-making? (28:50) What impact do term-limits, director investments and compensation have on decision-making? (35:34), and⚡ The Lightning Round ⚡ (42:39)

Host: Oliver Cummings

Producer: Will Felton

Music: Kate Mac

Audio: Nick Kold

Email: [email protected]

Web: https://www.nurole.com/nurole-podcast-enter-the-boardroom

Now on the boards of two Fortune 500 companies, Shellye Archambeau began building her board portfolio whilst she was a Silicon Valley CEO. Tune into Shellye’s conversation with Nurole CEO Oliver Cummings to hear her answers to: Why did you take on your first board role whilst you were still a CEO? (0:40) How did you make the time to be both CEO and board member? (4:29) How much time did you allocate for your board role? (6:04) How did you develop your non-exec skillset? (8:13) How did you use the audit committee to develop your strategic value? (9:46) How did you gain credibility as a non-exec in a new sector? (11:50) What’s your approach to reading board papers? (13:57) What are the right questions to raise in board meetings (versus outside them)? (15:48) What role have pro bono roles played in building your portfolio? (18:11) How have you thought about the overall construction of your portfolio? (19:48) How did you turn one board role into a portfolio? (21:24) How do you strike a balance between questions and advice? (24:12) What does a good board member look like to you? (26:34) When have you experienced impostor syndrome the most severely? (28:15) What tactics do you have for overcoming impostor syndrome? (31:56) What can boards do to minimise potential impostor syndrome? (34:31) How do you know when to quit, when to stick, and when to swerve? (36:48),  and ⚡The Lighting Round ⚡(40:11).  

Host: Oliver Cummings

Producer: Will Felton

Music: Kate Mac

Audio: Nick Kold

Email: [email protected]

Web: https://www.nurole.com/nurole-podcast-enter-the-boardroom

The tech revolution and Covid have brought seismic changes to the way organisations engage and assess their employees. Traditional approaches don't cut the mustard. So what do board members need to do to keep on top of their most valuable resource in the digital era? Daniel Kasmir has managed people issues for over 30 years, as a Chair, Remco Chair, Trustee and executive at TalkTalk, YouView TV and others. Tune into his conversation with Nurole CEO Oliver Cummings to discover: what are the pros and cons of combining the Chief People and Procurement Officer roles? (1:19); how do you calculate return on investment when it comes to talent? (5:19); why aren’t boards more excited by people analytics? (10:03); how do you show employees you're acting on their data? (12:27); how regularly do you have employee development sessions? (14:49); how are you approaching hybrid working? (16:43); are CEOs wrong to think in-person work is more valuable? (19:28); what is the role of the Remco, and how does it differ across ownership structures? (23:29); when can non-execs add the most value to Remcos? (25:34), and The Lightning Round (27:54). 

Host: Oliver Cummings

Producer: Will Felton

Music: Kate Mac

Audio: Nick Kold

Email: [email protected]

Web: https://www.nurole.com/nurole-podcast-enter-the-boardroom